Our Angel has ascended. Ms. Ruby Cheatham-Cannon was technically my Great Aunt but was more like a grandmother, and if you’ve read my cookbook you’ve seen her name on the dedication page. Big Sister (as we called her) lived to be 98 years old and had one hell of a life story to go along with it. It’s hard to sum up her joyful spirit, and the quiet strength she possessed, but I can tell you there was no one like her. We were so fortunate to have had her for as long as we did and last weekend my sister and I made the journey to Jackson, Mississippi to honor her among family. And of course we couldn’t leave town without stopping at Big John’s on Farish street to get some of her favorite sandwiches and hot tamales…iykyk Cheers to Big Sister, you are forever in our hearts. And thank you to my Top Chef fam @nickwallaceculinary for coming by to show your support and for the amazing food after church.
Our Angel has ascended. Ms. Ruby Cheatham-Cannon was technically my Great Aunt but was more like a grandmother, and if you’ve read my cookbook you’ve seen her name on the dedication page. Big Sister (as we called her) lived to be 98 years old and had one hell of a life story to go along with it. It’s hard to sum up her joyful spirit, and the quiet strength she possessed, but I can tell you there was no one like her. We were so fortunate to have had her for as long as we did and last weekend my sister and I made the journey to Jackson, Mississippi to honor her among family. And of course we couldn’t leave town without stopping at Big John’s on Farish street to get some of her favorite sandwiches and hot tamales…iykyk Cheers to Big Sister, you are forever in our hearts. And thank you to my Top Chef fam @nickwallaceculinary for coming by to show your support and for the amazing food after church.
Our Angel has ascended. Ms. Ruby Cheatham-Cannon was technically my Great Aunt but was more like a grandmother, and if you’ve read my cookbook you’ve seen her name on the dedication page. Big Sister (as we called her) lived to be 98 years old and had one hell of a life story to go along with it. It’s hard to sum up her joyful spirit, and the quiet strength she possessed, but I can tell you there was no one like her. We were so fortunate to have had her for as long as we did and last weekend my sister and I made the journey to Jackson, Mississippi to honor her among family. And of course we couldn’t leave town without stopping at Big John’s on Farish street to get some of her favorite sandwiches and hot tamales…iykyk Cheers to Big Sister, you are forever in our hearts. And thank you to my Top Chef fam @nickwallaceculinary for coming by to show your support and for the amazing food after church.
Our Angel has ascended. Ms. Ruby Cheatham-Cannon was technically my Great Aunt but was more like a grandmother, and if you’ve read my cookbook you’ve seen her name on the dedication page. Big Sister (as we called her) lived to be 98 years old and had one hell of a life story to go along with it. It’s hard to sum up her joyful spirit, and the quiet strength she possessed, but I can tell you there was no one like her. We were so fortunate to have had her for as long as we did and last weekend my sister and I made the journey to Jackson, Mississippi to honor her among family. And of course we couldn’t leave town without stopping at Big John’s on Farish street to get some of her favorite sandwiches and hot tamales…iykyk Cheers to Big Sister, you are forever in our hearts. And thank you to my Top Chef fam @nickwallaceculinary for coming by to show your support and for the amazing food after church.
What a weekend! First I dined @dakarnola and had an amazing meal that exceeded my already high expectations. Then I got my behind in the kitchen to prep and execute our SundayBest x Dakar collab dinner. @serignembaye_ and his team are true professionals, highly talented, thoughtful, and intentional, and it has been an honor sharing your kitchen. Thank you @kihdeffie and Serigne for the gracious hospitality and inviting me into your home. You are two of my absolute favorite people and your beauty within radiates out. ❤️ Actual food pics and more of this NOLA weekend to come, just had to gush for a sec before I catch this flight back to NYC! ✈️ #chef #collab #sundaybest #connectingdots #diaspora #senegal #southern #cuisine #culturalconnections #love
What a weekend! First I dined @dakarnola and had an amazing meal that exceeded my already high expectations. Then I got my behind in the kitchen to prep and execute our SundayBest x Dakar collab dinner. @serignembaye_ and his team are true professionals, highly talented, thoughtful, and intentional, and it has been an honor sharing your kitchen. Thank you @kihdeffie and Serigne for the gracious hospitality and inviting me into your home. You are two of my absolute favorite people and your beauty within radiates out. ❤️ Actual food pics and more of this NOLA weekend to come, just had to gush for a sec before I catch this flight back to NYC! ✈️ #chef #collab #sundaybest #connectingdots #diaspora #senegal #southern #cuisine #culturalconnections #love
What a weekend! First I dined @dakarnola and had an amazing meal that exceeded my already high expectations. Then I got my behind in the kitchen to prep and execute our SundayBest x Dakar collab dinner. @serignembaye_ and his team are true professionals, highly talented, thoughtful, and intentional, and it has been an honor sharing your kitchen. Thank you @kihdeffie and Serigne for the gracious hospitality and inviting me into your home. You are two of my absolute favorite people and your beauty within radiates out. ❤️ Actual food pics and more of this NOLA weekend to come, just had to gush for a sec before I catch this flight back to NYC! ✈️ #chef #collab #sundaybest #connectingdots #diaspora #senegal #southern #cuisine #culturalconnections #love
What a weekend! First I dined @dakarnola and had an amazing meal that exceeded my already high expectations. Then I got my behind in the kitchen to prep and execute our SundayBest x Dakar collab dinner. @serignembaye_ and his team are true professionals, highly talented, thoughtful, and intentional, and it has been an honor sharing your kitchen. Thank you @kihdeffie and Serigne for the gracious hospitality and inviting me into your home. You are two of my absolute favorite people and your beauty within radiates out. ❤️ Actual food pics and more of this NOLA weekend to come, just had to gush for a sec before I catch this flight back to NYC! ✈️ #chef #collab #sundaybest #connectingdots #diaspora #senegal #southern #cuisine #culturalconnections #love
What a weekend! First I dined @dakarnola and had an amazing meal that exceeded my already high expectations. Then I got my behind in the kitchen to prep and execute our SundayBest x Dakar collab dinner. @serignembaye_ and his team are true professionals, highly talented, thoughtful, and intentional, and it has been an honor sharing your kitchen. Thank you @kihdeffie and Serigne for the gracious hospitality and inviting me into your home. You are two of my absolute favorite people and your beauty within radiates out. ❤️ Actual food pics and more of this NOLA weekend to come, just had to gush for a sec before I catch this flight back to NYC! ✈️ #chef #collab #sundaybest #connectingdots #diaspora #senegal #southern #cuisine #culturalconnections #love
What a weekend! First I dined @dakarnola and had an amazing meal that exceeded my already high expectations. Then I got my behind in the kitchen to prep and execute our SundayBest x Dakar collab dinner. @serignembaye_ and his team are true professionals, highly talented, thoughtful, and intentional, and it has been an honor sharing your kitchen. Thank you @kihdeffie and Serigne for the gracious hospitality and inviting me into your home. You are two of my absolute favorite people and your beauty within radiates out. ❤️ Actual food pics and more of this NOLA weekend to come, just had to gush for a sec before I catch this flight back to NYC! ✈️ #chef #collab #sundaybest #connectingdots #diaspora #senegal #southern #cuisine #culturalconnections #love
What a weekend! First I dined @dakarnola and had an amazing meal that exceeded my already high expectations. Then I got my behind in the kitchen to prep and execute our SundayBest x Dakar collab dinner. @serignembaye_ and his team are true professionals, highly talented, thoughtful, and intentional, and it has been an honor sharing your kitchen. Thank you @kihdeffie and Serigne for the gracious hospitality and inviting me into your home. You are two of my absolute favorite people and your beauty within radiates out. ❤️ Actual food pics and more of this NOLA weekend to come, just had to gush for a sec before I catch this flight back to NYC! ✈️ #chef #collab #sundaybest #connectingdots #diaspora #senegal #southern #cuisine #culturalconnections #love
What a weekend! First I dined @dakarnola and had an amazing meal that exceeded my already high expectations. Then I got my behind in the kitchen to prep and execute our SundayBest x Dakar collab dinner. @serignembaye_ and his team are true professionals, highly talented, thoughtful, and intentional, and it has been an honor sharing your kitchen. Thank you @kihdeffie and Serigne for the gracious hospitality and inviting me into your home. You are two of my absolute favorite people and your beauty within radiates out. ❤️ Actual food pics and more of this NOLA weekend to come, just had to gush for a sec before I catch this flight back to NYC! ✈️ #chef #collab #sundaybest #connectingdots #diaspora #senegal #southern #cuisine #culturalconnections #love
What a weekend! First I dined @dakarnola and had an amazing meal that exceeded my already high expectations. Then I got my behind in the kitchen to prep and execute our SundayBest x Dakar collab dinner. @serignembaye_ and his team are true professionals, highly talented, thoughtful, and intentional, and it has been an honor sharing your kitchen. Thank you @kihdeffie and Serigne for the gracious hospitality and inviting me into your home. You are two of my absolute favorite people and your beauty within radiates out. ❤️ Actual food pics and more of this NOLA weekend to come, just had to gush for a sec before I catch this flight back to NYC! ✈️ #chef #collab #sundaybest #connectingdots #diaspora #senegal #southern #cuisine #culturalconnections #love
Preshift is where everyone in a restaurant working service gets together before doors open to get on the same page. New menu items, 86’s, shoutouts, everything we need to have a successful service. As a guest chef @dakarnola (and anywhere I pop-up) preshift meant going over the whole menu, beginning to end. What made this so special was while I’ve always highlighted regional southern cuisine and the cultural influences that shaped them (local Indigenous, diverse West African, and immigrants from Europe/Middle East/Asia) this was the first dinner where I got to explore a singular influence, the origin and foundation of it all. After giving out high-fives in the kitchen, guests arrived and we started with Dakar’s hand washing ceremony, a traditional part of eating at someone’s home in Senegal. Freshly baked bread starts the meal, and I always begin meals with an ingredient that was new to our ancestors when they were brought here but became one of the most important staples in most diets to sustain life, corn. We learned from Indigenous people how to grow, preserve, and unlock the nutrients in corn. Cornbread, grits, hominy, hushpuppies, Johnny cakes, hoe cakes, spoon bread, hot water cornbread, all things we learned, adopted and developed. Along with Dakar’s Palm bread we served Cornbread Madelines, with smoky pepper-infused butter. It was a beautiful and delicious(!) way to connect the dots of where we came from with where we are. There’s much more to share from this collab coming soon, but it was truly one of my favorite dinners and I’ve been digesting (pun intended) the love and inspiration that came from working with such great folks. #collab #collabdinner #westafricanfood #southernfood #connectthedots #origins #wherewecamefrom #whereweare #chef
Preshift is where everyone in a restaurant working service gets together before doors open to get on the same page. New menu items, 86’s, shoutouts, everything we need to have a successful service. As a guest chef @dakarnola (and anywhere I pop-up) preshift meant going over the whole menu, beginning to end. What made this so special was while I’ve always highlighted regional southern cuisine and the cultural influences that shaped them (local Indigenous, diverse West African, and immigrants from Europe/Middle East/Asia) this was the first dinner where I got to explore a singular influence, the origin and foundation of it all. After giving out high-fives in the kitchen, guests arrived and we started with Dakar’s hand washing ceremony, a traditional part of eating at someone’s home in Senegal. Freshly baked bread starts the meal, and I always begin meals with an ingredient that was new to our ancestors when they were brought here but became one of the most important staples in most diets to sustain life, corn. We learned from Indigenous people how to grow, preserve, and unlock the nutrients in corn. Cornbread, grits, hominy, hushpuppies, Johnny cakes, hoe cakes, spoon bread, hot water cornbread, all things we learned, adopted and developed. Along with Dakar’s Palm bread we served Cornbread Madelines, with smoky pepper-infused butter. It was a beautiful and delicious(!) way to connect the dots of where we came from with where we are. There’s much more to share from this collab coming soon, but it was truly one of my favorite dinners and I’ve been digesting (pun intended) the love and inspiration that came from working with such great folks. #collab #collabdinner #westafricanfood #southernfood #connectthedots #origins #wherewecamefrom #whereweare #chef
Preshift is where everyone in a restaurant working service gets together before doors open to get on the same page. New menu items, 86’s, shoutouts, everything we need to have a successful service. As a guest chef @dakarnola (and anywhere I pop-up) preshift meant going over the whole menu, beginning to end. What made this so special was while I’ve always highlighted regional southern cuisine and the cultural influences that shaped them (local Indigenous, diverse West African, and immigrants from Europe/Middle East/Asia) this was the first dinner where I got to explore a singular influence, the origin and foundation of it all. After giving out high-fives in the kitchen, guests arrived and we started with Dakar’s hand washing ceremony, a traditional part of eating at someone’s home in Senegal. Freshly baked bread starts the meal, and I always begin meals with an ingredient that was new to our ancestors when they were brought here but became one of the most important staples in most diets to sustain life, corn. We learned from Indigenous people how to grow, preserve, and unlock the nutrients in corn. Cornbread, grits, hominy, hushpuppies, Johnny cakes, hoe cakes, spoon bread, hot water cornbread, all things we learned, adopted and developed. Along with Dakar’s Palm bread we served Cornbread Madelines, with smoky pepper-infused butter. It was a beautiful and delicious(!) way to connect the dots of where we came from with where we are. There’s much more to share from this collab coming soon, but it was truly one of my favorite dinners and I’ve been digesting (pun intended) the love and inspiration that came from working with such great folks. #collab #collabdinner #westafricanfood #southernfood #connectthedots #origins #wherewecamefrom #whereweare #chef
Weekend photo dump, Art Basel edition. They say don’t meet your heroes but meeting Ava DuVernay made me love her even more! And her new film, Origin, made me laugh, cry, and above all THINK. Thank you to all the artists who create and share it with the world, it makes us all better when we engage with things that make us feel and discuss our world. #artbasel #artbaselmiami #miami #weekendtrip
Weekend photo dump, Art Basel edition. They say don’t meet your heroes but meeting Ava DuVernay made me love her even more! And her new film, Origin, made me laugh, cry, and above all THINK. Thank you to all the artists who create and share it with the world, it makes us all better when we engage with things that make us feel and discuss our world. #artbasel #artbaselmiami #miami #weekendtrip
Weekend photo dump, Art Basel edition. They say don’t meet your heroes but meeting Ava DuVernay made me love her even more! And her new film, Origin, made me laugh, cry, and above all THINK. Thank you to all the artists who create and share it with the world, it makes us all better when we engage with things that make us feel and discuss our world. #artbasel #artbaselmiami #miami #weekendtrip
Weekend photo dump, Art Basel edition. They say don’t meet your heroes but meeting Ava DuVernay made me love her even more! And her new film, Origin, made me laugh, cry, and above all THINK. Thank you to all the artists who create and share it with the world, it makes us all better when we engage with things that make us feel and discuss our world. #artbasel #artbaselmiami #miami #weekendtrip
Weekend photo dump, Art Basel edition. They say don’t meet your heroes but meeting Ava DuVernay made me love her even more! And her new film, Origin, made me laugh, cry, and above all THINK. Thank you to all the artists who create and share it with the world, it makes us all better when we engage with things that make us feel and discuss our world. #artbasel #artbaselmiami #miami #weekendtrip
Weekend photo dump, Art Basel edition. They say don’t meet your heroes but meeting Ava DuVernay made me love her even more! And her new film, Origin, made me laugh, cry, and above all THINK. Thank you to all the artists who create and share it with the world, it makes us all better when we engage with things that make us feel and discuss our world. #artbasel #artbaselmiami #miami #weekendtrip
Weekend photo dump, Art Basel edition. They say don’t meet your heroes but meeting Ava DuVernay made me love her even more! And her new film, Origin, made me laugh, cry, and above all THINK. Thank you to all the artists who create and share it with the world, it makes us all better when we engage with things that make us feel and discuss our world. #artbasel #artbaselmiami #miami #weekendtrip
Weekend photo dump, Art Basel edition. They say don’t meet your heroes but meeting Ava DuVernay made me love her even more! And her new film, Origin, made me laugh, cry, and above all THINK. Thank you to all the artists who create and share it with the world, it makes us all better when we engage with things that make us feel and discuss our world. #artbasel #artbaselmiami #miami #weekendtrip
